Tractor hitch for agricultural implements



Jan. 1, 1952 R DUGGER 2,580,532

TRACTOR HITCH FOR AGRICULTURAL '[MPLEMENTS Filed May 12, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l I IEM/ INVENTOR. R/gha/"c/ LDL/gger m/vm Jan. 1, 1952 Filed May 12, 1950 R. L. DUGGER TRACTOR HITCH FOR AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fi m/70rd L. Dagger MWM.

Q 1952 R. L. DUGGER 2,580,532

TRACTOR HITCH FOR AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS Filed May 12, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet s 3 1' L77 '7 INVENTOR.

R/chdrc/ L. Dugyer Y i atentecl jam. 1,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRACTOR HITCH FoR AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS RichardL. Dugger, Hammon, Okla. Application May 12, 1950, Serial No. 161,640

for ready attachment to varioustypes of tractors and wherein a hydraulic means is embodied in the hitch associated with mechanism for controlling the proper operative positions of working imple ments of machines which may be attached to the hitch device.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a tractor hitch embodying a three point attachment for agricultural implements which may be readily and quickly detached or attached to various makes of tractors and having means for efficiently controlling operative positions of vari-. ous working implements of a machine attached to the hitch, there being means for obtaining various adjustments of levers and links for varying the operative positions of the working implements.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hitch device which is constructed so that implements coupled behind a tractor can be shifted or changed with a minimum of eifort, the hitch including connections with the implement drawn, being of a universal form providing flexibility and proper adjustment of working elements to meet various conditions which may be encountered.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a tractor having the hitch device connected therewith.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the hitch device detached from the tractor.

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation thereof.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a bell crank lever associated with a hydraulic operating unit.

Figure 6 is an elevational view partly in section, illustrating an adjustable leveling connec- Reference is first invited to Figure 1 of the drawings, wherein there is illustrated the .rear portion ofa tractor II), the axle housing ll of which forms the base for mounting of the hitch device generally indicated at 12.

As best seen in Figures 2 and 3, a transverse, angle iron l3 has welded thereto a pair of spaced vertical channel members 14, the ends of the angle iron I3 extending beyond the channel members a distance for a purpose to beexplained. Intermediately of theheight of the channel members I 4 a pair of spaced openings are provided for securing, a clamp l5 which in the present instance, comprises a heavy fiat steel plate l6 having openings adapted to register with the openings in the vertical channel members 14. Heavy bolts I! are extended through the alignedopenings in the plate l6 and thechannel members M, the plate 16 being drawn into tight clamping engagement upon the axle housing II by nuts I8 engaged upon the threaded ends of the bolts. As clearly shown in Figure 1, two of the clamps are inherent, one disposed upon opposite sides of the axle housing. If desired a plurality of openings may be embodied in the upright channel members [4, enabling the clamp to be positioned at varying heights so as to accommodate the hitch to tractors of different heights.

The angle iron I3 also has a pair of ears l9 spaced in alignment with the upright channels [4, a truss rod 20 being connected between each pair of cars I9 and extended diagonally forward and secured to the housing I l as indicated at 2 I.

A bar 22 is connected between the upright chan-' nel members [4 and as shown comprises, a U-shaped frame, respective legs 23 of which are connected, as by welding, to the channel members, the bar extending horizontally and preferably the bar 22 is located above the medial height of the channel members. The bar 22 is an angle iron and has a pair of upstanding ears 24 for pivotal mounting of an implement control rod 25, as will be presently described.

Above the bar 22 and extending horizontally forward therefrom an arm 26 is secured to each upright channel I4, the extremity of each arm having a bracket 21 secured thereto, these brackets being secured to the outer face of the arms and form a pivotal mounting for oneend of respective hydraulic cylinders 28. 1

Upon the upper ends of the upright channels M a bearing 29 is secured, the bearings being in horizontal alignment for oscillatably mounting a rock shaft 30. The shaft 30 projects beyond the bearings 29 a distance for mounting respective bell crank levers 3| and 32, each of the levers having a short arm 33 pivotally connected to a piston rod 34 of respective hydraulic cylinders 28. The longer end of the levers 3| and 32 is inwardly offset as at 35 to overlie respective draw bars 36 and 31, the draw bars being pivotally connected to the lower ends of the upright channel members M as indicated at 38 and extend rearwardly a substantial distance to form a pair of respective ,connecting means for an implement to be drawnby thetractor.

Beneath the offset portion 35 of the lever 32 there is an arm 39 secured to the next adjacent upright channel member I4, in the path of a bolt 40 of an adjusting crank 41. Thebolt 49-'is threaded and engaged in a, threaded bearing'42 (see Figure 9). It will be apparent that bylrotating the crank and bolt the lever 32 may be raised and lowered. The lever 32 has a fork for pivotally mounting one end of a link 44, the other end of the lever being connected to the draw bar 31. The lever 3| has a fork between theears of which there is a pivotal bearing 46 for rotatably' supporting a shaftil, The shaft 41 has 7 afixed -collar'48' in' engagement with the upper end of the bearing-46. An interiorlythreaded cylinder 49 has one end pivotally connected to thedraw bar 36,'the upper open end receiving the-threaded portion of the shaft. Thus a pivotal connection is provided between the shaft and the'lever 3|, permittinga rocking movment of the lever so as'to adjust the draw bar 36. A crank- 50 integrally formed with the shaft l'! enables ready rotation of the shaft to raise and lower the draw bar36. "The draw bars 36 and 31 arestabilizedby respective brace'bars'Sl pivotally connected at the rear endsof the draw bars andtheendsof the channel iron member l3.

Theimplement control rod" 25 is threaded as at 52 and receives thereon one end of a threaded sleeve- 53, the opposite end of the sleeve receiving the threaded end 54 of a rod 55. The, threaded portion of the rodj25 may be right handed while thethrea'ds of the rod'55 may be left handed or vice versa, so that when the sleeve 531sv rotated the rods25,an d ,55 may. be drawn together or moved apart to, shorten or lengthen the combined length of therods. jUponthe extremity of. the rod' '55 a pivotal coupling'56, is provided forming the third and. final connectionwith an implement. ,In order thatthe s1eeve53 may be readily rotated ahand wheel. 51 is integrally iorrned upon the sleeve. 7

Each of the hydraulic cylinders 28 is. actuated byfiuid fromthe hydraulicunit of they tractor througha flexible hose 58,; the fluid ,bfiineicontrolledby a suitable, control valvelnotshown) as will be understood. 7

Theoperationof the hitch will be readily understood from the, following description, it being understood that. the implement to be drawn ,is connected to respective draw bars 36 and 3'l,at the. rear ends 59 and that these draw bars are located at a position adjacent the ground; forming twopoints of connectionwith the implement. The third point ofconnection tov the implement is effected by securement to the coupling 56-of the control arm 25 which is located at a position above the line of draft of the'tractor. It should be'understood that various implements embodying earth working tools, as well, asother 7 devices maybe attached to the bitch, and for the sake of illustration a disk; -cultivator-69;is shown in dotted lines in Figure; 1, and with the cultivator-attached as described, theecrank-AI is rotated to raise or lower the draw bar;3'l and likewise the draw bar 36 may be raised or lowered by actuating the crank 50, and since the draw bars 36 and 3'! are pivotally mounted upon the upright channel members M, the draw bars may be adjusted to different levels and thus regulate the depth at which the disks may engage into I the ground. The control rod 25-55 is adjusted l ments of the cultivator, this may be accomplished by the operator of the tractor by actuating a valve-associatedwith the hose 58 to discharge ,fiuid into the cylinders 28.

members, a. bell crank-leveronthesends ,of

Fluid entering the cylinders will move the piston rods 25 rearwardly moviu l he arms 3.3 in. a orre p ndin dir ction nd the arm 35 wi p tak of an u w rd arcuate movement abo utthe rock shaft 39. fine cultivator having a three point suspension upon the hitch l2will be raisedjfrom the earth dep ndin upo the en thof ravel ofthe p to od and v us y th 11.11w m vemen of. th piston rodf34 will elevate'the cu1tivator e ntire- 1y fr m, th r und .so tha the. tractor may be ved to another location- From thef r e in i i wi ltb s en tha -a; three point suspension hitch has been providedwhich is ofva fiexiblecharacter lending itself to; numerous adjustments of earth workin q n which may be, readilyv attachedcor detached from the axle' of various typesoftractors; and While a preferredform of the device has: been shown and described, this is by way of illustration only, as various modifications. in structure. may be resorted within the scope of the appended claims.

What isclaimed:

1. A three point suspension hitch for tractors prising spaced, upri ht ch nnel mem r having clamp meansLadaptedh-tobe secured to the axle .housing-of-a tractor, a rock shaftimountedv adj acent theuppen-endsof. the channel members,v a ll; cra lever zon th en s o said rock haft. saidaupr ht. ch nnel; m m er h vin a p r f L'r arw rd y .iextendiug draw bar co nest n means b tween oneiarm: of r ach fzsai tion to an implement to be drawn, andsaid control rod having acoupling for connectionrto: said implement .at ,a point above the connection-to said draw bars. 7

.A thr point-s spension hit h f rv ractor comprisingspaced upti ht channel members having clamp means adapted to be securely-fixed to the ,axle housing iof a tractor, a rock; shaft mounte adjacent theuppe ven .of h channel "aid rock f i uprie tzchann l members pair of rearw rd-1y xtended-draw ars,:.= said bell ranknmember eachhaxrine an inwardly ofiset fork m mber verlyin rr spective (draw bars, means connecting one arm of the bell crank levers with respective draw bars, one of said means being vertically adjustable, the other of said connecting means including an adjustable bolt cooperable with a stop on the adjacent upright channel member, an arm fixed to each upright channel member and extending forwardly therefrom at a level below said rock shaft, a hydraulic cylinder pivotally mounted upon a forward end of each arm, said cylinder having a piston rod for connection with the other arms of the bell crank levers, a U-shaped frame connected between said upright channel members, the bight portion of the U-shaped frame extending parallel to the rock shaft, a pivotal coupling mounted on said bight portion, a shaft connected to said pivotal coupling, said shaft having a threaded end, a sleeve having one end threadedly engaged upon said shaft, a threaded shaft in the other end of said sleeve, the threads of the first shaft being opposite to those of the last shaft, said last shaft having a. pivotal coupling for attachment to a high point of an implement to be drawn by the tractor and said draw bars having means for connection with low points of said implement.

RICHARD L. DUGGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

